The Canadian of Notre Dame
by Operas'n'Cartoons1883
Summary: A lonely Canadian bell-ringer must assert his independence from a vicious English government minister in order to help his friend, an American dancing girl.
1. Cast List

**Cast List**

Quasimodo- Matthew Williams (Canada)

Esmeralda- Amelia F. Jones (Fem!America)

Frollo- Arthur Kirkland (England)

Phoebus- Francois Bonnefoy (France)

Clopin- Gilbert Beilschmidt (Prussia)

Hugo- Im Yong Soo (Korea)

Victor- Honda Kiku (Japan)

Laverne- Wang Yao (China)

Djali- Feliciano Vargas (Neko!Italy)

Archdeacon- Lovino Vargas (Romano)

Quasimodo's Mother- (Native America)


	2. The Bells of Notre Dame

**Chapter 1- The Bells of Notre Dame**

An aerial view of the famed city of Paris on a bright sunny day. The rooster crowed, as a voice in a strong German accent sang:

"_Morning in Paris, the city awakes_

_To the bells of Notre Dame._

_The fisherman fishes, the baker man bakes_

_To the bells of Notre Dame._

_To the big bells as loud as the thunder_

_To the little bells soft as a psalm,_

_And some say the soul_

_Of the city's the toll_

_Of the bells,_

_The bells of Notre Dame."_

There, next to a puppet theatre was a young albino Prussian in colorful jester garb. His name was Gilbert Beilschmidt.

"Listen," sighed Gilbert, "The awesome songs of the bells are beautiful, _ja_? So many colours of sounds, so many changing moods. But did you know they don't ring all by themselves?"

A little yellow bird came to Gilbert's shoulder and asked, "They don't?!"

"_Nein_, Gilbird." Gilbert told his pet bird. "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower, lives the mysterious bell-ringer. Who is this creature?"

"Who?"

"What is he?"

"What?"

"How did he come to be here?"

"How?"

"Hush, Gilbird!" scolded Gilbert as he hit Gilbird in the head. The children giggled as poor Gilbird groaned with pain.

"The awesome Gilbert will tell you. It is a tale… a tale of a man… _und_ a monster…" The children listened breathlessly as Gilbert began his story.

It was a dark and snowy night when a small group of Americans tried to escape to Paris on a small boat on a river.

_"Dark was the night when our tale was begun_

_On the docks near Notre Dame."_

In one dark-skinned woman's arms, a baby began to cry. One man hissed, "Shut up, will you?"

"We'll be spotted!" another warned.

"Hush, little one," said the mother as she pulled the baby closer to herself.

A man in a dark cloak tried to silence the baby as well.

"_Four frightened Yankees slid silently under_

_The docks near Notre Dame."_

A boatman waited on the shore. "Four gilders for safe passage into Paris," he said gruffly.

The Americans approached him cautiously and stopped. The sound of an arrow shooting one man's hat off broke the silence of the night.

"_But a trap had been laid for the Yankees,_

_And they gazed up in fear and alarm_

_At a figure whose clutches_

_Were iron as much as_

_The bells!"_

One of the Americans gasped at the sight of a man on horseback. "Judge Arthur Kirkland!"

"_The bells of Notre Dame!"_

The man had messy blond hair, emerald green eyes, bushy eyebrows, and a smug little smirk that said, "Screw you Americans!"

"_Arthur Kirkland longed to purge the world of vice and sin,_

_And he saw corruption everywhere except within."_

Aloud, he said to his guards in a distinctly English accent, "Bring these American vermin to the Palace of Justice at once."

The Native American mother turned away, effectively shielding her bundle from view. But one of the English guards noticed her.

"You there!" he demanded, "What are you hiding?"

Arthur looked down disgustedly at the woman, "Stolen goods, no doubt." In a clipped, indifferent tone, he ordered, "Take them from her."

A flash of lightening and…

"She RAN!" exclaimed Gilbert.

The American mother broke free from the group on the river shore and disappeared from sight, the English judge in close pursuit behind her.

Finally, the Native American woman had reached the doors of Notre Dame. She frantically pounded her fist on them, screaming, "Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary!"

But the judge had caught up with her. He tried to pull the bundle she held away from her; but she held on tighter.

With one final kick courtesy of Judge Kirkland himself, the Native American mother fell. Her head hit the stone cold steps of Notre Dame, and she was no more. In the judge's arms, his stolen prize began to cry.

"A baby?" Arthur wondered as he uncovered its head.

It was indeed a baby. His rosy skin glowed; his golden hair was soft and shiny. A long curl stood out from the top of his head.

But that did not stop the English judge from gasping out, "A monster!" He didn't understand it. In fact, he feared it. Suddenly, he noticed a stone well in the center of the courtyard. So he guided his horse to the well and prepared to drop the boy.

"STOP!" cried the dark-haired archdeacon, a man by the name of Lovino Vargas. Arthur curled his nose at the Italian.

"This is an unholy demon," the Englishman snarled, "I am sending it back to Hell, where it belongs."

The archdeacon was on his knees on the stone steps with tears in his eyes. He gently cradled the dead Native American woman in his hands. He started to sing sadly:

"_See there the innocent blood you have spilt_

_On the steps of Notre Dame."_

Arthur turned his horse towards the Italian and scowled, "I am guiltless…she ran, I pursued."

The archdeacon continued:

"_Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt_

_On the steps of Notre Dame?"_

"My conscience is clear!" the Englishman snapped.

Lovino fixed a cold, icy death glare on the English judge.

"_You can lie to yourself and your minions;_

_You can claim that you haven't a qualm._

_But you never can run from_

_Nor hide what you've done from_

_The eyes!"_

He thrust a finger, angrily, towards the statues that surveyed the snow-covered landscape, inspecting everything and missing nothing.

"_The very eyes of Notre Dame!"_

Gilbert then sang:

"_And for one time in his life of power and control,_

_Arthur felt a twinge of fear for his immortal soul."_

Arthur breathed heavily, looking wildly from statue to statue. His head snapped towards the Italian archdeacon, who had lifted the Native American woman from the stone cold steps.

"What must I do?" Kirkland demanded.

"Care for the child," Lovino responded, "and raise him as your own."

"What?" Arthur said, appalled, "I am to be saddled with this unwanted…"

He paused, and an idea came to his mind.

"Very well, let him live with you in your church"

"Live here? But where?"

"Anywhere."

And Arthur began to sing:

"_Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see."_

"The bell tower perhaps. And who knows…," he mused aloud, "our Lord works in mysterious ways."

"_Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be_

_Of use to me."_

Gilbert continued: "_Und_ Arthur gave the child a cruel name, a name that means 'a few acres of snow'… 'Matthew Williams'"

"_Now here is a riddle to guess if you can,_

_Sing the bells of Notre Dame!_

_Who is the monster and_

_Who is the man?_

_Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells,_

_Bells of Notre Dame!"_


	3. Isolation

**Chapter 2- Isolation**

Twenty years had passed since Arthur had brought Matthew into the church to live in the bell tower and Matthew had grown into a young man, ringing away at the bells of Notre Dame.

It was a beautiful day and Matthew, as usual went to his Notre Dame balcony to view the city when he notices a baby bird sleeping in the mouth of one of the gargoyles.

"Good morning," he said to the bird, who was now waking up. "Will today be the day? Are you ready to fly?"

The little bird chirped sadly, "Not sure."

"You sure?" asked Matthew, taking the little bird to his hands, "Could you try? Why, if I picked a day to fly, oh, this would be it: the Festival of Fools."

The bird gulped as he looked down nervously. "But why?" he chirped.

"Why, it'll be fun," the Canadian told the bird, "what with the jugglers, and music, and dancing,…"

And before the little bird knew it, he was flying and happy about it. Matthew chuckled with delight at this.

"Go on," he told the baby bird as the other birds flew past him, "no one wants to be cooped up here forever." And he let the bird go.

Of course, this got the Canadian thinking about how much fun it would be to be as free as the birds.

Just then, Yong Soo, the Korean gargoyle who had had the bird in his mouth woke up, spitting out the feathers. "Da-ze!" he sputtered, "I thought he'd never leave! I'll be spitting feathers for a week!"

Presently, Kiku, the Japanese gargoyle, woke up and said to Yong Soo, "Well, that's what you get for sleeping with your mouth open."

"Ah, go scare a nun!" Yong Soo snapped at Kiku before turning to Matthew and asking the latter, "Hey, Mattie, what's going on down there? A fight? A flogging?"

"A festival!" Kiku reported with pleasure.

"You mean the Feast of Fools!" asked Yong Soo with joy in his heart.

"Yeah," sighed Matthew.

"ALL RIGHT!" the Korean squealed, "POUR THE WINE AND CUT THE CHEESE!"

"It is a privilege to watch the colorful pageantry of the simple peasant folk," said the Japanese gargoyle in a rather cultured manner.

Yong Soo chimed in, "Boy, nothing like balcony seats for watching the old F. O. F.!"

"Yeah," the Canadian muttered, "Watch it."

"Ah, look, a mime!" said Yong Soo and he tried to spit at the mime before Kiku stopped him by placing his hand over the former's mouth.

Just then, both Yong Soo and Kiku noticed that Matthew was leaving them. "Hey, Mattie," said Yong Soo, "what gives?"

"Aren't you going to watch the festival with us?" asked Kiku.

"I don't get it," moaned the Korean as Matthew went back into his bell tower room.

"Perhaps he's sick," said Kiku to Yong Soo.

"Impossible," retorted a Chinese gargoyle by the name of Wang Yao, "if twenty years of listening to you two whippersnappers hasn't made him sick by now, then I don't know what will, aru."

"But, Yao," Kiku tried to explain, "watching the Festival of Fools has always been the highlight of the year for Matthew-san."

But Yao told the Japanese gargoyle, "What good is watching a party if you never get to go?" Then some pigeons came to Yao, but Yao managed to shoo them away, "You mangy buzzards, get away from me, aru!" He then continued to explain, "He's not made of stone like us, aru."

Matthew walked up the steps and towards his handcrafted Notre Dame model set, looking sadly at it. The three Asian gargoyles followed him, looking sadly at their Canadian friend.

Yao then walked up to Matthew and asked, "Mattie, what's wrong? You want to tell old Yao all about it?"

"I…" Matthew told his Chinese friend, "I just don't feel like watching the festival. That's all."

"Well, did you ever think of going there instead?"

"Sure, but I'd never fit in out there. I'm not… normal."

"Oh, Mattie, Mattie, Mattie," Yao reassured Matthew. But then the pigeons flew to the Chinese gargoyle and he shouted, "Do you mind? I would like to have a moment with the boy if it's all right with you, aru!"

Just then, Yong Soo butted in and told Matthew, "Hey, quit being around the bell tower. What are we gonna do paint you a fresco?"

"As your friends and guardians," said Kiku, "we insist you attend the festival."

"Me?" asked Matthew with surprise.

"No, the Pope," Yong Soo answered, "Of course, you!"

Kiku then told the Canadian, "It would be a most veritable potpourri of educational experience."

"Wine, women, and song!"

"You can learn to identify various regional cheeses."

"Bobbing for apples!"

"Studying indigenous folk music."

"Playing Dunk the Monk!"

"Matthew," said Yao, "take it from an old Chinese spectator. Life is not a spectator sport. If watching is all you're ever going to do, then you're going to watch your life go by without you, aru."

"Yeah," the Korean chimed in, "you're human, what with the flash and the hair and the navel lint. We're just part of the architecture. Right, Kiku?"

"_Hai_," Kiku agreed, "If you chip us, will we not flake? If you moisten us, do we not grow moss?"

"Mattie," said Yao, "just grab a fresh tunic and a clean pair of hose and…"

"Thanks for the encouragement," Matthew informed his Asian friends, "but you're all forgetting one big thing."

"What?" asked the Asian gargoyles in unison.

And Matthew told them solemnly, "My master, Arthur Kirkland."

"Oh," the Asians moaned despondently. Kiku then asked Matthew, "Well, when he says you're forbidden from ever leaving the bell tower, does he mean, 'ever' ever?"

"_Never_ ever!" answered Matthew, with more than a hint of fear in his voice, "And he hates the Feast of Fools. Oh, he'd be furious if I asked to go."

"Who says you've got to ask?" said Yong Soo deviously.

"Oh, no," Matthew said to the Korean.

"Yeah! Ya sneak out,…" Yong Soo explained.

"It's just one afternoon, aru," said Yao.

"I-I couldn't," muttered Matthew.

"…and ya sneak back in," continued Yong Soo.

"He'll never know you were gone, aru," Yao insisted.

"But if I got caught,…" the Canadian wondered.

Kiku then explained, "Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission."

"He might see me," moaned Matthew.

Yong Soo then told him, "You could wear a disguise. Just this once. What that ol' limey doesn't know can't hurt ya."

"Ignorance is bliss," Kiku recited.

"Look who's talkin'?" the Korean said, teasing the Japanese gargoyle.

"Nobody wants to stay cooped up here forever," Yao told Matthew, reminding him of what he had said earlier.

"You're right! I'll go!" cried Matthew cheerfully as his Asian friends cheered him on, "I'll get cleaned up, I'll stroll down those stairs, I'll march through the doors, and…" But then, he was met with a frightening sight.


	4. Kirkland's Visit and Out There

**Chapter 3- Kirkland's Visit/Out There**

It was Arthur Kirkland, Matthew's master, who had come to the tower for lunch.

"Good morning, Matthew," he said to his Canadian subordinate.

Matthew gazed in fear and awe as he said to his English master, "M-m-morning, master."

"Dear boy," asked Arthur, "whomever are you talking to?"

"My…friends…" answered Matthew.

"I see," the Englishman said, tapping onto one of the gargoyles, "and what are your friends made of?"

"Stone."

"Can stone talk?"

"No, it can't."

"That's right. You're a smart lad," said Arthur as he took his seat by a nearby table, "Now, lunch."

Matthew then set the table as his English master said to him, "Shall we review your alphabet today?"

"Oh, yes, master," said Matthew passively, "I would like that very much."

"Very well. A?"

"Abomination."

"B?"

"Blasphemy?"

"C?"

"C-c-contrition."

"D?"

"Damnation?"

"E?"

"_Eternal_ damnation!"

"Good. F?"

"Festival?"

Of course, this caused Kirkland to spit out his tea, nearly choking on it. He asked Matthew, "Excuse me?"

"F-f-forgiveness," the Canadian answered in dread.

"You said 'festival'," said the Englishman sternly.

"NO!"

"You are thinking about going to the festival," snarled Arthur at his Canadian subordinate as they went outside to the balcony.

"I-it's just that you go every year," Matthew insisted.

"I am a public official," the English judge told him, "I must go, but I don't enjoy a moment. Thieves and cut-purses that drag at humankind all mix together in a shallow drunken orgy."

"I didn't mean to upset you, master."

"Matthew William Kirkland, can't you understand? When your heartless mother abandoned you as a baby, anyone else would have killed you. And this is my thanks for taking you in and raising you as my son?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Oh, my dear Matthew, you have no idea what it's like out there. I do. I do." And Arthur began to sing:

"_The world is cruel,_

_The world is wicked,_

_It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city,_

_I am your only friend._

_I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you,_

_I who look upon you without fear._

_How can I protect you, boy,_

_Unless you always stay in here,_

_Away in here?"_

"Remember what I taught you, Matthew," Arthur said to Matthew and continued to sing:

"_You are deformed."_

"_I am deformed,"_ repeated Matthew sadly.

"_And you're unwanted."_

"_And I'm unwanted."_

"_And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity._

_You do not comprehend."_

"_You are my one defender."_

"_Out there, they'll revile you as a monster."_

"_I am a monster."_

"_Out there, they will hate and scorn and jeer."_

"_Only a monster."_

By then, both master and servant had approached Matthew's city model. Kirkland gestured broadly to the little wooden people.

"_Why invite their calumny and consternation?_

_Stay in here, be faithful to me."_

"_I'm faithful,"_ Matthew faintly repeated.

"_Grateful to me."_

"_I'm grateful."_

"_Do as I say. Obey…"_

Arthur trailed off. He picked up a doll with dirty blond hair and violet eyes. It looked very sad. He gently placed it up in the wooden cathedral tower.

"_And stay in here."_

"_I'll stay in here."_

Kirkland reached the staircase as Matthew said, "You are good to me, master. I'm sorry."

The Englishman nodded, "You are forgiven. But remember, Matthew," he gestured around the room, "this is your sanctuary."

"My sanctuary," Matthew repeated numbly.

As his English master exited down the stairway, the Canadian sang:

"_Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone,_

_Gazing at the people down below me._

_All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone,_

_Hungry for the histories they show me."_

Matthew gazed down at the happy multitude, chin in hands.

"_All my life I memorize their faces,_

_Knowing them as they will never know me._

_All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day,_

_Not above them…_

_Bur part of them…"_

As he sang, Matthew began clambering up the columns of the cathedral. He enjoyed every climb he took; they helped clear his head and allowed him to feel as free as a bird and as light as the breeze.

"_And out there, living in the sun,_

_Give me one day out there._

_All I ask is one to hold forever._

_Out there, where they all live unaware._

_What I'd give… what I'd dare,_

_Just to live one day out there!"_

Matthew grew more energetic, less depressed, with every step he took, every inch he ascended of Notre Dame.

"_Out there among the millers_

_And the weavers and their wives,_

_Through the roofs and gables I can see them._

_Every day they shout and scold_

_And go about their lives,_

_Heedless of the gift it is to be them._

_If I was in their skin,_

_I'd treasure every instant!"_

At last Matthew had reached the peak of the church. All that misery had left him now.

"_Out there, strolling by the Seine,_

_Taste the morning out there!_

_Like ordinary men who freely walk_

_About there._

_Just one day and then I swear_

_I'll be content with my share!_

_Won't resent, won't despair,_

_Old and bent, I won't care!_

_I'll have spent one day out there!"_


	5. Bonnefoy's Return to Paris

**Chapter 4- Bonnefoy's Return to Paris**

Meanwhile down in the streets of Paris, a soldier had returned from the wars against the Germans. This soldier had the silkiest blond hair in all of Paris, tied in a ponytail, the most beautiful blue eyes as well. All in all, he was the most handsome man in all Paris, not least since he was indeed a native Frenchman. His name was Francois Bonnefoy. He was looking at a (rather outdated) map with his horse, Achille.

"_Zut!_" he grunted in disgust, "You're gone for a couple of decades and they change everything."

As two English guards passed by him, the French soldier asked, "_Excusez-moi, messieurs_. I am looking for the Palace of Justice. Would you…?" But the guards ignored him because, well, you know how the English hate the French.

"Hmmm, I'd say that's a _'non'_," Francois thought as he walked along his way. As he kept walking, he heard a small group of Americans playing "Oh, Susannah."

He also saw a Cuban father and son passing by the Americans. As the son tried to approach the Americans, the father warned him, "Stay away, son. They're Americans. They'll steal us blind."

Francois then looked at the Americans, tossing some coins into their can. When he looked up, he saw an especially beautiful girl amongst the group. This young lady had blonde hair and blue eyes just like his own. Her name was Amelia F. Jones, and when she looked at him, he knew that he was in love at first sight.

Just then, a young American boy gave a signal, leading the other Americans away. As Amelia left with her pet, a cat named Feliciano, she took the can with her. But some of the coins fell out of the can, so she went back to pick them up. Unfortunately, she happened to find herself in the presence of the English guards.

"Alright, Yankee," said one guard rather suspiciously, "where did you get the money?"

"FYI, I earned it," Amelia answered assertively.

"Americans don't earn money," snorted another guard, "they steal it."

"You'd know a lot about stealing!" the American girl retorted as Francois was watching the scene with chagrin.

"Troublemaker, huh?" said the first guard as Amelia kicked him in the chin.

"Not even a stunt double will help you now," sneered the other guard as Feliciano, hissing angrily, jumped on his head and scratched him. And both girl and cat ran away.

As the guards tried to run after Amelia, Francois pulled his horse over so that the guards would run into him and fall into a puddle.

"Achille, sit," Francois ordered, and the horse sat on one of the guards.

"Oh, _mon Dieu! Je suis tres desole!_" Francois exclaimed, feigning apology, "Naughty horse. Naughty. He is just impossible. I cannot take him anywhere."

From behind a wall, Amelia seemed to look at the Frenchman with a look of affection.

"Get this thing off me!" moaned the guard that had just been sat on.

"I'll teach you a lesson, peasant!" shouted the other guard, pulling a dagger from his belt.

Francois followed suit, pulling a far larger sword from his scabbard. "You were saying, _Lieutenant._"

Just then, the guard that had pulled out his dagger, realized who he was talking to. "Oh, c-c-c-c-captain!" he stuttered as he gave a salute, "At your service, sir!"

"I know you have a lot on your mind right now," said the French captain to the other guard, "but…the Palace of Justice?"

And so, the English guards, although Francophobes, showed him the way, shouting, "Make way for the captain!" all the way.

Presently, Francois saw some coins on the ground. He also saw what looked like an old beggar with a pipe in his mouth. So the French captain tossed the coins into the can next to the beggar.

Just then, the "beggar" uncovered "his" hood to reveal Amelia and her cat Feliciano, the latter with the pipe in his mouth. The American girl and her cat gazed on as Captain Francois Bonnefoy marched on his way.


	6. The Palace of Justice

**Chapter 5- The Palace of Justice**

Finally, Captain Francois Bonnefoy and the English guards had reached the Palace of Justice, where a whipping was going on. The man being whipped was a Spaniard by the name of Antonio Fernandez Carriedo and the man whipping him was a Swiss man by the name of Basch Zwingli. Suddenly, Arthur, who seemed to have carried out the whipping, told Basch, "Stop."

"Yes, sir_,_" Basch asked the English judge.

"Ease up," Arthur said to his Swiss torturer, "Wait between lashes. Otherwise the old sting will dull him to the new."

"Yes, sir," the Swiss torturer responded, and off he went.

Just then, Arthur turned to see Francois. "Ah, so this is the gallant Captain Francois Bonnefoy, home from the German Wars," he said.

"Reporting for duty as ordered, _monsieur_," said the gallant French captain.

"Your service record precedes you, Bonnefoy. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."

"And you shall have it, _monsieur_. I guarantee it."

"Yes. You know, my last captain of the guard, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, was, er, a bit of a disappointment to me."

"_Ten merced, por favor!_" screamed Antonio as Basch savagely whipped his back once more, while Arthur smirked at the sight.

"Well, no matter," Arthur said as he returned to Francois, "I'm sure you'll… 'whip' my men into shape."

"_Merci beaucoup,_" responded Francois, "That is a great…tremendous honor, _monsieur_."

On the balcony of the Palace of Justice, Arthur was having another conversation with Francois.

"You've come to Paris in her darkest hour, Captain," the English judge was telling the French captain. "It will take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled."

Francois was confused. "Misled?" he inquired.

"Look, captain. Americans," Arthur said, showing Francois the Americans touring Paris. "The Americans live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts, and they must be stopped!"

"I was summoned from the wars to capture cowboys and Indians?" asked Francois.

"Uh-uh-uh," Arthur answered, "The real war, captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years I have been 'taking care' of the Americans…one by one." As he said this, he pressed his fingers onto some ants on the sill, killing them. "And yet, for all my success, they have thrived!" As he said this, he lifted the brick, revealing a whole swarm of ants. "I believe they have a safe haven within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles."

"And what are we going to do about it, _monsieur_?" asked Francois.

Kirkland, rather than giving a spoken answer, chose to smash the brick over the ants, killing them all in one blow.

"You make your point quite vividly, _monsieur_," said Francois.

"You know, I like you, captain," the English judge said to the French captain. "Shall we?"

Just then, some trumpets sounded, announcing the Festival of Fools.

"Oh, bloody hell," groaned Arthur in frustration. "Duty calls. Have you ever attended a peasant festival, captain?"

"Not recently, _monsieur_." Francois answered.

"Then this should be quite an education for you. Come along."

And Francois and Arthur went the Festival of Fools, whether the latter liked it or not.


	7. Topsy Turvy

**Chapter 6- Topsy Turvy**

Now was Matthew's chance to leave the bell tower and attend the Feast of Fools. He had put on a cloak so as to disguise himself. As he went down the cathedral, he heard the people sing:

"_Come one! Come all!_

_Leave your looms and milking stools,_

_Coop the hens and pen the mules!_

_Come one! Come all!_

_Close the churches and the schools!_

_It's the day for breaking rules!_

_Come and join the Feast…of…"_

Gilbert, the albino in jester clothes, burst out of the crowd, flipping once as he did so.

"FOOLS!" he cackled gleefully.

The tempo of the song increased as Gilbert began to sing:

"_Once a year we throw a party here in town._

_Once a year we turn all Paris upside down._

_Every man's a king and every king's a clown,_

_Once again it's Topsy-Turvy Day!"_

As Matthew walked down the square, he was filled with wonder and terror; this was his first festival. He tried to get somewhere quiet, for a moment, but Gilbert spotted him first.

"_It's the day the devil in us gets released._

_It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest._

_Everything is Topsy Turvy at the Feast of Fools!"_

Matthew looked around as he pulled his hood closer around his face. A man, dressed as a dog, was leading another man on a leash. A crab-costumed performer was chasing after a frightened chef. Men were walking on their hands with gloves on their feet. All this time, Matthew was looking for a place to hide.

"_Topsy turvy!"_ the crowd chanted.

"_Everything is upsy-daisy!"_ Gilbert cheerfully sang.

"_Topsy turvy!"_

Gilbert had gotten bored of Matthew, so he leaped away, giving Matthew time to escape.

"_Everybody's acting crazy!_

_Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet,_

_That's the way on Topsy Turvy Day!"_

The respite was brief, however, as Matthew got swept up in a line of dancers almost immediately afterwards. He was then jostled out of his line, straight into a dressing tent. He crashed into a basket of masks, startling a girl in a scarlet dress.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. It was Amelia, the American girl that Francois had noticed earlier. She then realized it was an accident and she softened.

"Are you all right?" she asked, bending down to the boy.

"I didn't mean to…I-I-I'm sorry…" Matthew stammered, daring not to rise.

"You ain't hurt, are ya? Here, let's see…"

She reached to pull away the hood that covered his face.

"No, no, no!" the Canadian protested, trying to pull his hood closer.

The American girl's cat meowed with confusion at this poor creature whom she was aiding.

"Hush, Feliciano," the girl reprimanded. She smiled at Matthew.

"There, see, no harm done. Just try to be a little more careful next time."

"I-I-I will," stuttered the flustered Canadian.

Amelia turned to leave, her cat trotting close behind. At the mouth of the tent, she turned to look at Matthew once more.

"Oh, by the way," she said approvingly, "great mask!"

Matthew looked on with a love-struck smile on his face.

Everything was still noisy and bright outside.

"_Topsy turvy!"_ recited the crowd.

Gilbert joined in:

"_Beat the drums and blow the trumpets!"_

"_Topsy turvy!"_

"_Join the bums and thieves and strumpets,_

_Streaming in from Chartres to Calais!_

_Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy,_

_On the sixth of 'Januervy',_

_All because it's Topsy Turvy Day!"_

Judge Kirkland, along with a handful of guards and Captain Bonnefoy, had reached their seats in the midst of the tumultuous crowd. Gilbert leaped to the stage and sang:

"_Come one! Come all!_

_Hurry, hurry here's your chance,_

_See the mystery and romance._

_Come one! Come all!_

_See the finest girl in France,_

_Make an entrance to entrance._

_Dance, my fair Ameliaaaaaaaa…"_

As his voice crescendoed, Gilbert raised a fist high up in the air. The hand came down with a hissing cry of "DANCE!" With a bang and a puff of red smoke, Gilbert had disappeared. The American girl Amelia, adorned with gold jewelry and swirling skirts, took his place and began to dance. Everyone watching her was enchanted.

Arthur, too, felt something inside him stir as he watched the young American girl dance. He took it for revulsion.

"Just look at that disgusting display," he said to Francois.

To which the French captain replied enthusiastically, "_Oui, monsieur!_"

Amelia cart-wheeled over to where the English judge sat. She took a silken scarf with an American flag design out from the folds of her dress, playfully wrapping it around the man's neck. The American girl leaned in as if to kiss him, but turned and bounded away at the last second. Kirkland tore the scarf from his neck, growling like an angry bulldog.

At the climax of her performance, Amelia yanked a spear from one of the astonished English guards. She thrust it onto the stage, spinning around and around. She finally came to rest sitting on the stage. Matthew, who had been watching the whole time, received a wink and a smile. He blushed from underneath his cloak; did the girl remember him from the tent?

Gilbert appeared once more onstage alongside Amelia.

"_Und_ now, ladies _und_ gentlemen," he announced, "the piece de resistance!

_Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for!_

_Here it is, you know exactly what's in store!_

_Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore!_

_Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!_

You all remember last year's king!"

Gilbert waved an arm. A crazy old man, who was being carried on the shoulders of four festival goers, waved idiotically and grinned before shouting, "BANANA!"

"_Make a face that's strange or weird or frightening,_

_Make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing!"_

When Yong Soo heard this line from his lofty tower home, he took much offense.

"_For the face that's oddest will become the King of Fools!_

_Why?"_

"_Topsy turvy!"_

"_Ugly folks, forget your shyness!"_

"_Topsy turvy!"_

"_You could soon be called Your Highness!_

_Put your foulest features on display,_

_Be the King of Topsy Turvy Day!"_

One by one, the contestants climbed up to the stage, as did Matthew. As Amelia pulled the masks off one by one, each contestant tried to make a funny face. The crowd booed and jeered, and Feliciano clawed the unmasked people off the stage and into the muck on the street below. Finally, poor, confused Matthew was the only contestant left onstage. Amelia pulled at what she thought was a mask…and gasped. Everyone in the audience did the same. His violet eyes were unusual to look at.

"It's the bell-ringer from Notre Dame!" someone exclaimed.

They had all heard tales of this legend, but seeing him here and now was unreal to them. Poor Matthew looked like he was about to cry. And Arthur looked ready to swear with fury.

Gilbert, sensing this change in mood, jumped to the stage and called down to the crowd.

"Ladies _und_ gentlemen, don't panic," he implored, "We asked for the oddest face in Paris, _und_ here he is! Matthew Williams, the bell-ringer of Notre Dame!"

His humorous tone lightened everyone's spirits, and they all started to laugh with joy as they carried Matthew on their shoulders. Finally, Gilbert called out, "EV-ERY-BO-DY!"

"_Once a year, we throw a party here in town!"_

"_Hail to the king!"_

"_Once a year, we turn all Paris upside-down!"_

"_Oh, what a king!"_

"_Once a year, the strangest one will wear a crown!"_

"Girls, give a kiss!"

A Ukranian girl named Katyusha Braginskaya and a Belarusian girl named Natasha Arlovskaya leaned over to kiss Matthew.

"_Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day!"_

"_We've never had a king like this!"_

Two men then bowed to Matthew as they presented him with a red cape, a fake crown, and a plastic scepter. It didn't matter to him that it was a false title; people cheer for him and he grinned merrily. Matthew couldn't remember a time when he had been so happy; not even Kirkland's terrible, wrathful face could dampen his spirits.

Everyone joined Gilbert in singing:

"_And it's the day we do the things that we deplore_

_On the other three hundred and sixty-four._

_Once a year we love to drop in,_

_Where the beer is never stoppin',_

_For the chance to pop some popinjay,_

_And pick the king who'll put the 'top' in_

_Topsy Turvy Day!_

_Topsy Turvy!_

_Mad and crazy, upsy-daisy Topsy Turvy Day!"_


	8. Humiliation

**Chapter 7- Humiliation**

The entire throng was cheering for Matthew as the King of Fools.

But meanwhile, one of the English guards, holding a tomato, told the other guard, "Think he's ugly now? Watch this!" And he threw it at Matthew. The crowd gasped in horror.

"HAIL TO THE KING!" shouted another guard as he threw another tomato at poor Matthew. Before he knew it, all of the guards were throwing rotten fruit at him, causing him to slip. As he tried to escape, the guards only laughed at him and tied him up with ropes, saying, "Where are you going? The fun's only just begun!"

Matthew just couldn't stand all this derision and ripped his shirt in fury. But as he tried to release himself, the guards only tied him further until he was tied to the turntable. Two of the guards then spun the poor Canadian around to see the crowd's shouts of contempt.

Only Amelia wasn't so disparaging, no, instead, she was angry at what the guards were doing to Matthew.

"MASTER!" Matthew called out. "MASTER, PLEASE! HELP ME!" But his English master could only smirk at what he saw as deserved punishment.

"_Monsieur,_" asked Captain Francois, "I request permission to stop this madness."

"In a moment, captain," said the still-smirking Judge Kirkland, "a lesson needs to be learned here."

But then, the American girl Amelia walked up to the tied-up and torn Matthew. The crowd was silenced.

"Don't be afraid," she said to the Canadian as she wiped the tomato stains from his cheek, "I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Just then, Kirkland shouted, "You, Yankee girl! Get down at once!"

"Yes, sir," Amelia said to the English judge, "Just as soon as I free this poor critter."

"I won't allow it!" Arthur shouted. But Amelia pulled a dagger from her dress and cut the ropes anyway. "How dare you defy me!" shouted the English judge.

"Ya mistreat this poor varmint the same way ya mistreat my people!" said Amelia rather angrily at the English judge, "Ya speak of justice, but you're cruel to them most in need of yer help!"

"SILENCE!" shouted Arthur.

"JUSTICE!" shouted Amelia.

The crowd gasped with awe at the American girl's brave defiance of the English judge as she threw the ropes off of Matthew's shoulders.

"Mark my words, Yankee," growled Arthur with cruel hate in his heart, "you shall pay for this insolence."

"Then it appears that we've crowned the wrong fool," joked Amelia, "the only fool I see in these here parts is _YOU_!" And with that, she threw the crown at the English judge as her cat hissed at him with contempt.

Then Kirkland, furious, ordered, "Captain Bonnefoy, arrest her!"

So the French captain snapped his fingers, signaling Kirkland's sordid order to the guards. As they approached Amelia, she began to count, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…so there's ten of you and only one of me," she said, then began to feign sadness. "What's a poor girl to do?" She pretended to sob into her hanky and blew her nose. With that she disappeared in a flash.

"Witchcraft," Kirkland said to himself, reacting to what Amelia just did.

"Yoo-hoo!" Amelia called to the guards as she had hid herself and her cat in a basket of masks.

"There she is!" shouted one guard.

"Get her!" yelled another.

And the American girl jumped off the stage with her pet cat and made a run for it, leaping into the crowd as they collectively carried her off.

Two of the English guards tried to leap into the crowd as well, but the crowd moved out of the way, causing the guards to fall and crash their armor.

Three more guards ran after Amelia, but she grabbed onto a cage holding an old Roman named Romulus Imperiosus and used it to hit the guards, upon which moment it snapped from the wheel holding the cage and rolled across the street. At that moment, Feliciano, the little cat leaped onto a Sealandic boy named Peter Kirkland, who was riding on a wooden crate scooter. Amelia followed suit.

Just then four English guards who were chasing Amelia ran into Mathias Kohler, a Dane on stilts, who proceeded to kick all the guards at once, in the groin.

Amelia, Feliciano, and Peter then scootered over a ramp, zooming over some more guards. The cage holding Romulus then fell onto the guards, causing it to break open.

"YAY! I'M FREE! I'M FREE!" shouted Romulus. But no sooner did Romulus try to escape than he tripped and fell into a pillory instead. "Dang it!" he muttered with disgust.

Just then, an English guard on horseback was chasing after Amelia and her cat. She came to another man on stilts, this time a Swede named Berwald Oxenstierna, and pulled down his pants. As the guard tried to get the American girl, he got caught in Berwald's pants and slingshot across the street, causing his hat to fall onto Amelia's head. Amelia took off the hat and gave a low, gracious bow.

Three more guards on horseback came to her, but she threw the hat at the guards causing them all to fall simultaneously. The hat then flew past Francois and hit a pole. "What a girl!" he thought, admiring Amelia's inner strength.

Presently, two more guards ran after Amelia, but then, she came to a Finnish tightrope artist named Tino Vainamoinen. Amelia whistled to Tino, who dropped his wooden pole onto the guards. And before the guards knew it, they ran into Arthur Kirkland's seat, much to his annoyance.

Two more stiltsmen, a Norwegian named Lukas Bondevik and an Icelandic man named Emil Bondevik, lifted the American girl to the top of a tent and with the twirl of a curtain, she disappeared just as the sky grew dark.

As the thunder rolled, Judge Kirkland snarled at Matthew. He turned to Captain Bonnefoy, telling him, "Find her, captain. I want her alive."

"_Oui, monsieur_," said Francois, who told the guards, "Seal up the area, men. Find the American girl and do not harm her."

Just as it was beginning to rain, Kirkland turned his horse to Matthew, glaring at him.

Matthew was riddled with guilt when he saw his English master like that. "I'm sorry, master," he said to Kirkland, "I will never disobey you again."

And with that he jumped off the stage and walked back into the cathedral, closing the door after he had done so.

Poor Matthew had tears in his eyes. He had never felt so ashamed in all his life.


	9. God Help the Outcasts

**Chapter 8- Amelia in Notre Dame/God Help the Outcasts**

Meanwhile, what looked like an old beggar (really Amelia and Feliciano in disguise) was walking around, as though looking for shelter. Captain Francois Bonnefoy noticed the cat's head from underneath the hood and watched on as the two walked into the cathedral.

Inside the cathedral, Amelia uncovered the hood, revealing herself and her cat. Both gazed in awe at the beauty of this architecture.

Just then, the French captain snuck up to the American girl, upon which moment, she pulled out his sword and thrust him to the ground, pointing the sword at him.

"You…" she growled at him.

"Easy, easy," stuttered the Frenchman to Amelia, "I-I-I just shaved this morning."

"Oh, really, ya missed a spot, buster."

"Alright, alright, j-j-just calm down. Just give me a chance to apologize."

"Fer what, Frenchie?"

And with that Francois pulled the sword from Amelia's hands, causing her to fall. As he did this, he said, "That, _par example._"

"Ya sneaky son-of-a-gun!" snarled Amelia rather angrily.

"Uh-uh-uh. Watch it. We are in a church."

"Are ya always this charmin' or am I just lucky?" said the American girl as she picked up a candleholder and used it to duel with Francois' sword.

"Whoa!" chuckled Francois, "Candlelight! Privacy! Music! I cannot find a better place for hand-to-hand combat!" Then he said to Amelia, "_Mon Dieu!_ You fight almost as well as a man!"

"That's funny," Amelia responded, "I was gonna say the same thing 'bout you!"

"Uh, that is hitting a little below the belt, _non?_"

"Oh, no. THIS IS!" Amelia shouted as she tried to thrust the candleholder between the French captain's legs. But Francois used his sword to prevent himself some injury. Ever resourceful, Amelia answered to that by thrusting the candleholder up to his chin. "Touché!" shouted Francois, shaking his head. Just then, Amelia's cat Feliciano headbutted the French captain in the stomach.

"Oh," groan Francois in pain, "I had no idea that you had a cat."

"Well, he doesn't take kindly to soldiers in these here parts," said Amelia as she backed up with her hissing cat.

"Uh, I noticed," moaned Francois, still wincing with pain, "Uh, _permetts-moi,_ _mademoiselle. Je m'appelle Francois Bonnefoy._ It means 'Frenchman of good faith'." Amelia and Feliciano just looked at each other with suspicion towards the Frenchman.

"_Et comment t'appelles-tu?_" asked Francois.

"Is this an interrogation?" asked Amelia, still suspecting that the French captain had something up his sleeve.

"It is called an introduction," answered Francois, putting his sword away.

"Then you're not gonna arrest me?"

"Well, as long as you are in here, I cannot."

"Why, you ain't at all like the other soldiers," said Amelia, who had softened up a bit to the French captain.

"_Merci beaucoup,_" said Francois in gratitude.

"So," asked the American girl, "if ya ain't gonna arrest me, then whaddya want?"

"I would settle for your name."

"The name's Jones, Amelia F. Jones."

"Amelia. _Tres belle._"

But Feliciano, Amelia's cat, just looked at the scene with disgust.

"Much better than Francois, anyway," the Frenchman continued. Before either of them had known it, Francois and Amelia were in love.

But their love scene was interrupted by Judge Arthur Kirkland. "Good work, captain!" he said to the French captain, "Now, arrest her!"

Feliciano ran behind Amelia's dress, yowling with fright.

Francois then turned his head to Amelia. "Claim sanctuary," he said to her. But the American girl only gave the French captain a scowl. "Say it!" Francois repeated.

But all Amelia said was, "You tricked me, ya two-faced varmint."

"I'm waiting, captain," said the English judge rather impatiently.

"_Je suis desole, monsieur._ She has claimed sanctuary," fibbed the French captain. "There is nothing I can do."

At this, Kirkland began to order, "Then drag her outside and…"

Just then, Archdeacon Lovino Vargas entered, shouting at the English judge, "_Che palle, Arturo!_ You will not touch her!"

Then he turned to Amelia, saying to her, "Worry not, _mia piccina americana._ _Ministro_ Kirkland learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

But Kirkland just snarled at the Italian archdeacon and snapped his fingers, ordering the guards to leave, but not before hiding behind a column.

Lovino then led Francois away as Amelia's cat continued to headbutt the French captain. "All right! All right! I'm going now!"

Meanwhile, Arthur crept up to Amelia, grabbing her lovely form as he did so. She did not like that at all.

"You think you've outwitted me?" the Englishman whispered, rather creepily, to the wincing American girl. "But I am a patient man, and Americans don't do well inside stone walls." Just then, Arthur turned his head and sniffed at Amelia's hair.

"Whaddya think you're doin'?" asked Amelia, almost accusingly.

"Oh, I was just imagining a rope around your beautiful neck."

"I know what you're imaginin'!" shouted Amelia as she pulled herself from Arthur's grasp.

"Such a clever witch," said the English judge to a frightened Amelia, "So typical of your kind to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts! Well, no matter. You have quite chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside, little girl, and I swear, you're mine!" And with those words, Kirkland left the cathedral.

As Amelia ran to try and escape, she was met with a bad sight of English guards, one of them saying, "Kirkland's orders: post a guard at every door." And with that, Amelia slammed the door shut! As her cat came up to her, Amelia told him, "One thing's fer sure, Feli, if Kirkland thinks he can keep us here, he's so wrong!"

"Don't play dumb like that, _figlia,_" Lovino told Amelia, not angrily, "You've created quite a stir at the festival. But it would be unwise to arouse Kirkland's anger further."

"But ya saw what he did out there!" the American girl shouted to the Italian archdeacon, "Lettin' the crowd torture that poor Canadian boy! I just thought that if one person could stand up to him, then…" She paused, then she gave up and told Lovino, "What does he have against them who're different, anyhow?"

"Amelia, _figlia,_" Lovino responded to Amelia, "You cannot simply right all the wrongs of this world by yourself."

"Well, no one out there's gonna help, that's fer sure."

"_Bene,_ perhaps there is someone in here who can."

And with those words, Lovino left. Amelia then walked to a crucifix and turned her head to see people praying to the God whom they knew watched over them all the time. Amelia turned again to the crucifix and began to sing:

"_I don't know if You can hear me_

_Or if You're even there._

_I don't know if You would listen_

_To a Yankee's prayer._

_Yes, I know I'm just an outcast._

_I shouldn't speak to You._

_Still I see your face and wonder,_

_Were you once an outcast, too?"_

Meanwhile, in the bell tower, Matthew heard Amelia's song. He was moved and moved down the stairs as the American girl continued to sing:

"_God help the outcasts,_

_Hungry from birth._

_Show them the mercy_

_They don't find on Earth._

_God help my people._

_We look to You still._

_God help the outcasts,_

_Or nobody will."_

Matthew looked down at Amelia, who was walking past some parishioners, all singing some prayers:

"_I ask for wealth._

_I ask for fame._

_I ask for glory to shine on my name._

_I ask for love_

_I can possess._

_I ask for God and his angels to bless me."_

And Amelia continued to sing as she and her cat walked to the light shining through the rose window:

"_I ask for nothing;_

_I can get by,_

_But I know so many_

_Less lucky than I._

_Please help my people,_

_The poor and down-trod._

_I thought we all were children of God._

_God help the outcasts, children of God."_

As Matthew looked at this kindly American girl, he knew that he was in love with her.


	10. Amelia in Matthew's World

**Chapter 9- Amelia in Matthew's World**

Just then, a churchgoer spotted Matthew and shouted, "You! Bell-ringer! What are you doing down here?" At that, Matthew tripped over a candleholder. Amelia noticed the sound and ran to the Canadian.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" the churchgoer continued as Matthew scurried away.

"Wait up!" Amelia cried out as she continued to run after Matthew. "I-I wanna talk to you!" And they both ran up the stairs, American after Canadian.

Finally, they had reached the top, whereupon the Asian gargoyles—Yong Soo, Kiku, and Yao—noticed that Matthew had brought a girl with him.

"Look," said Yao, "He's got a friend with him, aru."

"Yeah," Yong Soo chimed in, "Maybe today wasn't a total loss after all."

"_Hai,_" agreed Kiku, "A vision of loveliness."

"The one in the dress ain't so bad either," said the Korean, who didn't quite understand what the Japanese gargoyle was talking about.

All at once, the gargoyles dropped in on Matthew.

"Way to go, Mattie!" shouted Yong Soo.

"Congratulations," said Kiku.

"We knew you had it in ya, aru," agreed Yao.

"Got the girls chasin' ya already," the Korean continued.

Matthew didn't quite understand what his Asian friends were saying, so he tried to tell them, "Actually, I…"

But Kiku said to the Canadian, "You mustn't run too fast, or she might get away."

"Yes, I-I know. That's what I…" the Canadian continued.

But Yong Soo told Matthew, "Give her some slack, then reel her in! Then give her some slack, then reel her in! Then give her some slack…"

Just then, Yao bonked him in the head, scolding him. "Knock it off, Yong Soo," he told his youngest brother. "She's a girl, not a koi fish, aru."

Finally, Amelia had caught up with Matthew. "Here you are," she panted. "I was afraid I'd lost ya."

"Yes," Matthew said to her, "Well, I, uh…I have chores to do. I-it was nice…seeing…you… again. Oh, maple hockey!" he groaned as he walked away.

"No, wait!" Amelia called to the shy Canadian boy.

As Amelia's cat Feliciano tried to follow his mistress, he noticed that the Korean gargoyle come to life and try to kiss him. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"I'm really sorry about this afternoon," Amelia called out to Matthew, "I had no idea who ya were. I would never in my life have pulled ya…up…on…the…stage."

Presently, she noticed a platform. In the center of this platform was a table holding a miniature city set made of wood. "What is this place?" she asked the Canadian boy.

"This is where I live," Matthew answered.

"Did ya make all them things yerself?"

"Well, most of them."

"Why, this is beautiful. If I could do this, ya wouldn't find me dancin' in the streets fer coins."

"But you're a wonderful dancer."

"Well, it keeps bread on the table, anyway," said Amelia. Then, she noticed two unpainted wooden models. "What are these?"

"Oh, no, please!" stammered Matthew. "I-I-I'm not finished! I still have to paint them!"

Amelia chucked at the sight of these models. "It's the blacksmith," she mused, "and the baker."

Just then Feliciano the cat began pawing at a tassel hanging from the tablecloth.

"You're a surprising person, Matthew," the American girl said to the Canadian boy. "Not to mention lucky. All this room to yerself."

"Well, it's not just me," Matthew shyly responded, "There's the Asian gargoyles and, of course, the bells. Would you like to see them?"

"Why, of course we would," answered Amelia, "Wouldn't we, Feli?" Feliciano then immediately stopped playing with the tassel and meowed in agreement.

"Follow me," Matthew told Amelia as they climbed upstairs, "I'll introduce you."

As they walked past the bells, Amelia thought, "I never knew there were so many."

"That's Little Sophia," Matthew pointed out to Amelia, "And Jeanne-Marie, Anne-Marie, and Louise-Marie. Triplets, you know."

"And who's this?" asked Amelia as she approached one particularly big bell.

"Big Marie," Matthew answered.

"HOWDY!" the American girl shouted as she entered the mouth of the bell. Her "Howdy" echoed inside the bell.

"She likes you," Matthew informed her. "Would you like to see more?"

"How's about it, Feli?" Amelia asked her cat, whose meow of agreement echoed inside the bell. "We'd love to," she told the Canadian.

"Good, 'cause I've saved the best for last," Matthew told Amelia as the two went up to the roof of Notre Dame, where Matthew showed her an aerial view of Paris itself.

"Oh," Amelia sighed, "I'll bet yer boots that the king himself doesn't have a view like this. I could stay up here forever."

"Y-you could, you know."

"Nah. I couldn't."

"Oh, yes, you have sanctuary."

"But not freedom. To quote that ol' limey Kirkland, 'Americans don't do well inside stone walls'."

"But y-y-you're not like other Americans. They are…obnoxious."

"Why, who told ya that?"

"My master, Arthur Kirkland. He raised me."

Amelia was startled at that thought. "But how can such a cruel ol' limey raise someone like you?"

"Cruel? Oh, no. He saved my life. He took me in when no one else would. I am a monster, you know."

"He told ya that?" asked Amelia, even more confused.

"Look at me," Matthew said to her.

"Give me yer hand," said Amelia as she clasped Matthew's hand. "Just let me see it." She then read Matthew's palm, telling him, "A long life line. Oh, and this one means you're shy." As she continued to read, she seemed to notice something strange. "Now, that's funny," she thought.

"What?" asked Matthew.

"I don't see any…"

"Any what?"

"Monster lines. Not a single one. Now you look at me," Amelia said to Matthew, handing out her own hand. "Do you think _I'm_ obnoxious?"

"Why, no!" exclaimed Matthew. "No, no. You are kind and good and…and…"

"And an American. And maybe Kirkland's wrong 'bout the both of us."

Meanwhile, the Asian gargoyles were overhearing their conversation.

"What did she say?" asked Yong Soo.

"Kirkland's nose is long and he wears a dress, aru," Yao whispered to his youngest brother.

"Ha!" shouted the Korean to Kiku, "Told ya! Pay up."

"Oh, fudge," moaned Kiku.

"Chump!"


	11. Matthew Helps Amelia Escape

**Chapter 10- Matthew Helps Amelia Escape**

As Amelia looked down from the cathedral, Matthew said to her, "You helped me. Now I will help you."

"But there's no way out," Amelia reminded Matthew. "There're soldiers at every door."

"We won't use a door."

"Ya mean, climb down?"

"Sure," Matthew responded, pointing out to the American girl's cat, "You carry Feliciano, and I'll carry you."

"Okay," said Amelia, and then she called to her cat, "Come on, Feli." And the cat leaped into the arms of his mistress, who chose to blindfold him so that he couldn't look down.

"Ready?" asked Matthew as he took the American girl into his arms.

"Yep," answered Amelia affirmatively.

"Don't be scared."

"I ain't scared."

Just then, the Canadian leapt over the balcony and onto one of the drainage gargoyles. "Now I'm scared!" Amelia gulped.

"The trick is not to look down," Matthew told Amelia.

Presently, the blindfold fell from Feliciano's eyes and down to the ground. As Feliciano looked down, he yowled with fear.

"Ya done this before?" asked Amelia to Matthew.

"Oh, no," said Matthew as he leapt around the corner and across some buttresses. As the Canadian did so, Amelia and her cat held on tight. Then Matthew leapt from one buttress to another below, climbing down until finally he and his passengers jumped down to a metal roof.

"Wow, you sure are an acrobat!" gasped Amelia with wonder.

"Why, thank you," said Matthew with gratitude. But just then, the tile he was grabbing onto slid down the roof and down one of the drainage pipes until finally, Matthew, Amelia, and Feliciano found themselves dangling onto a buttress and the tile flew off. Wherever it landed, it made such a noise that some English guards rushed from their posts to wherever the noise came from.

No sooner did the English guards leave than Matthew jumped from the buttress down to a Madonna below. As an English guard passed by, Matthew, Amelia, and Feliciano hid themselves behind the Madonna until the guard was already gone.

"I hope I didn't scare you," said the Canadian boy to the American girl.

"Not fer an instant," bluffed the American girl, while her cat just meowed with relief that that crazy ride was all over.

"I'll never forget you, Amelia."

Amelia then took Matthew's face in her hands and said to him, "Come with me."

"What?" thought Matthew.

"To the Court of Miracles. Leave this here place."

"Oh, no. I'm never going back out there again. You saw what happened today," Matthew put his hand to the wall. "This is where I belong."

"All right," said Amelia. "Then I'll come to see ya."

"Here? But the soldiers and Kirkland!"

"I'll just come over after sunset."

"But at sunset, I ring the evening mass, and after that I clean the cloisters. And then I ring the vespers and…" But a peck in the cheek from this lovely American girl caused Matthew to relent. "Whatever's good for you," he said to her.

"If ya ever need sanctuary," said Amelia, taking off her necklace, which had a design made of thread, "this'll show ya the way."

"But how?"

"Just remember: When you wear this here woven band, ya hold the city in yer hand." Matthew looked at the woven band with awe and then hid it underneath his shirt.

Just then, Feliciano meowed with fright, reminding both Canadian boy and American girl that the English guards have realized that Amelia had escaped.

"Hurry, you must go," Matthew said to Amelia. And so off went Amelia onto a thatch roof, down a rope, and onto the street below. From there she and her cat fled for their safe haven, while her new Canadian friend looked on with wonder.

Matthew climbed back up the cathedral, but once he had reached the top, he felt someone touch his hand. It was Captain Francois Bonnefoy. "_Bon soir,_" he said to Matthew. "I am looking for the _demoiselle americaine._ You have seen her, _non?_"

But Matthew, believing that the Frenchman had come to steal Amelia away, just growled at him like an angry polar bear.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy!" exclaimed Francois.

"No soldiers!" snarled Matthew as he grabbed a torch. "Sanctuary! Get out!"

"_Attends!_ All I want is to…" shouted the French captain as he backed up in fear.

"Go!"

"But I mean her no harm!"

"GO!" growled Matthew as he waved the torch at Francois and grabbed him by the cape. Luckily, the resourceful French captain pulled his sword from his belt and used it to stop the torch from burning him.

"You can tell her for me," he said to the Canadian. "I did not mean to trap her here, but it was the only way I could save her life. Will you tell her that?"

Matthew had softened up a little, but still, he glared at Francois, growling, "If you go. Now!"

"_Oui,_ I'll go," agreed Francois, "Now, will you…put me down, _s'il vous plait?_"

So the surprisingly strong Canadian gently put the French captain down. From there, Francois went down the stairs. But before he went, he called up to Matthew, "Ah, and one more thing: tell Amelia…she is very lucky."

"Why?" asked Matthew.

"Why, to have a friend like you, _mon ami._" And from there, the French captain went downstairs, while the Canadian boy looked down with wonder.


	12. Heaven's Light and Hellfire

**Chapter 11- Heaven's Light/Hellfire**

As soon as Francois Bonnefoy had left, Matthew went back to his room. There, his Asian friends came up to him.

"Hey, hey! There he is!" shouted Yong Soo with joy.

"Bravo!" cheered Kiku. "You ejected that tin-plated frog-face with great panache!"

"The nerve of him," the Korean agreed. "Snooping around here trying to steal your girl!"

"My girl?" asked Matthew with more than a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Amelia F. Jones," said Yao. "Blonde hair, works with a cat. Don't you remember, aru?"

"Da ze, I do!" Yong Soo chimed in. "Way to go, lover boy!"

"Lover boy, me?" retorted the Canadian. "Oh, no, no, no, no."

"Aw, don't be so modest, aru," the Chinese gargoyle said to him.

"Look, I appreciate what you're all trying to do, but let's not fool ourselves. 'Oddest face in all of Paris', remember? I don't think I'm her type." And then, Matthew began to sing:

"_So many times out there,_

_I've watched a happy pair_

_Of lovers walking in the night._

_They had a kind of glow around them._

_It almost looked like Heaven's light._

_I knew I'd never know_

_That warm and loving glow,_

_Though I might wish with all my might,_

_No face as strange or weird as my face_

_Was ever meant for Heaven's light."_

As the Canadian continued singing, he started carving a block of wood, while his Asian buddies seemed to be drawing something.

"_But suddenly, an angel has smiled at me_

_And kissed my cheek without a trace of fright."_

Matthew had completed carving the block of wood, forming it into a model of his new American friend, Amelia, and started to paint it. Meanwhile, Kiku had drawn an anime drawing of Amelia, Yao had drawn her in a heavily detail fashion, and Yong Soo drew Feliciano, the cat.

"_I dare to dream that she_

_Might even care for me,_

_And as I ring these bells tonight,_

_My cold, dark tower seems so bright._

_I swear it must be Heaven's light!"_

And Matthew started to ring the bells, signifying the mass had ended.

Underneath Matthew's room several priests were chanting in Latin:

"_Confiteo Deo omnipotenti,_

_Beatae Mariae semper virgini,_

_Beato Michaeli archangelo,_

_Sanctis apostolis, omnibus sanctis."_

Meanwhile, in the Palace of Justice, Judge Arthur Kirkland, in his nightshirt, started to sing to the Virgin Mary:

"_Beata Maria, you know I am a righteous man._

_Of my virtue I am justly proud."_

"_Et tibi, Pater."_

"_Beata Maria, you know I'm so much purer than_

_The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd."_

"_Quia peccavi nimis."_

"_Then tell me, Maria, why I see her dancing there,_

_Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul."_

"_Cogitatione."_

"_I feel her! I see her! The sun caught in her golden hair_

_Is blazing in me out of all control!"_

"_Verbo et opere!"_

As Kirkland gazed into his fireplace, he thought he saw Amelia F. Jones, the American girl, dancing in the fire. He pulled out the silken cloth with the American flag design on it and rubbed his face onto it, but the very thought of Amelia pierced his soul and filled his heart with cruel hate.

"_Like fire, hellfire,_

_This fire in my skin;_

_This burning desire_

_Is turning me to sin!"_

Just then, some faceless, red-hooded spirits rose up looking at Kirkland rather ominously. The English judge was startled.

"_It's not my fault!"_

"_Mea culpa."_

"_I'm not to blame!"_

"_Mea culpa."_

"_It is the Yankee girl, the witch who set this flame!"_

"_Mea maxima culpa."_

"_It's not my fault,"_

"_Mea culpa."_

"_If in God's plan,"_

"_Mea culpa."_

"_He made the Devil so much stronger than a man!"_

"_Mea maxima culpa!"_

And with that, the spirits left. Kirkland then continued to sing:

"_Protect me, Maria, don't let this siren cast her spell!_

_Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone!_

_Destroy Amelia Jones and let her taste the fires of Hell,_

_Or else let her be mine and mine alone!"_

That's right; this English judge now believed that he would rather kill her than not have her. But his awesome song was interrupted by a knock of the door. It was one of his English guards.

"Minister Kirkland," said the guard. "The American has escaped."

"What?" asked Arthur in disbelief.

"She's nowhere in the cathedral. She's gone."

"But how? I…" But then Arthur had a thought. He turned and told the guard, "Never mind. Get out, you idiot." He then muttered to himself, "I'll find her. I'll find her if I have to burn down all of bloody Paris!" And he continued to sing:

"_Hellfire, dark fire,_

_Now, Yankee, it's your turn._

_Choose me or your pyre._

_Be mine or you will burn!"_

And with that Kirkland threw the American flag cloth into the fire, whereupon it burned to ash.

"_God have mercy on her._

_God have mercy on me._

_But she will be mine,_

_Or she will BURN!"_


	13. Paris is Burning

**Chapter 12- Paris is Burning**

The next morning, Captain Francois Bonnefoy and the English soldiers all saw Judge Arthur Kirkland, who had just woken up and definitely looked like he had a hangover (Kirkland was never a morning person).

"_Bonjour, monsieur,_" said the French captain to the drowsy English judge. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I, uh, had a little trouble with the fireplace," Arthur bluffed drowsily.

"I see. Your orders, _monsieur?_"

"FIND THE YANKEE GIRL!" shouted Arthur with anger in his voice.

And with that, some English soldiers broke into Ludwig Beilschmidt's Bakery. The German baker was startled to see the English break into his shop, topple over some bread, and take away some Americans, three cartoon characters by the names of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, that he had been hiding.

After the soldiers had chained the Americans and led them out of Beilschmidt's Bakery, Kirkland told the Americans, "Ten pounds sterling for the American girl Amelia F. Jones." He then told his men, "Lock them up!" And off he rode.

Two more soldiers then pushed a covered wagon into the river below, whereupon an entire pioneer family bobbed to the surface. The soldiers arrested the family as Kirkland told the family, "Twenty pounds sterling for the American girl Amelia F. Jones." He then turned to his men and told them, "Take them away!" It was there and then when Captain Bonnefoy realized that Kirkland had turned out evil. He didn't like what the English judge was doing.

Later, Arthur, Francois, and the soldiers approached a little house by a windmill. Amelia and her cat Feliciano, disguising themselves once again, heard the crowd mutter that Arthur Kirkland had gone mad.

Inside the house, the English judge was interrogating an Austrian man named Roderich Edelstein, his Hungarian wife Elizabeth Hedervary, and their twin sons Rudolph and Rodi.

"We found this American baseball on your property," he said to the Austrian. "Have you been harboring Americans?"

"What?" asked Roderich with disbelief. "Our home is always open to the weary traveler. Have mercy, _mein fuhrer._"

"Fine. I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this," Arthur continued. "If you are innocent and what you say is true, then you have nothing to fear."

"But we are innocent," Elizabeth told the English judge with dread in her voice. "We assure you, we know nothing of these Americans other than stereotypes about them."

But before the Austrian, his Hungarian wife, or either of their boys could speak further, Arthur closed the door, using one of his soldiers' spears to lock it.

He then turned to Francois and told him, "Burn it!"

"_Quoi?_" asked the French captain, with more than a hint of alarm.

"Until it smolders," continued the English judge as he handed Francois a torch. "These people are traitors and must be made examples of."

"_Excusez-moi,_ _monsieur,_" retorted Francois, "I was not trained to murder the innocent!"

"But you were trained to follow orders!"

With that, the French captain backed up to a nearby barrel full of water and thrust the torch into it to snuff it out.

"You cheese-eating surrender monkey!" snarled Kirkland, who always hated the French anyway.

And with that, he grabbed another torch and set the windmill on fire, setting the house on fire in the process. Francois was horrified at the sight and, taking chances, dashed into the burning house, rescuing not only Roderich, but also his wife Elizabeth and their twin boys Rudolph and Rodi.

Meanwhile from the crowd, Amelia and her cat were amazed at the sight: Captain Francois Bonnefoy had risked his life to save an entire family from burning with their house.

"_Danke schon, Hauptmann!_" said Rudolph in gratitude.

"_Ja, danke,_" said Rodi.

"You are an idiot," sniffed Roderich, "you could have been killed." But he softened up and said, "But, we could care less."

"We are so grateful for your noble act," said Elizabeth as she gave the French captain a peck in the cheek.

So off went the Austro-Hungarian family as Francois said to them, "_Au revoir, mes amis._"

But then, an English soldier hit him in the head with the flat of his sword, causing the French captain to fall on his back.

As the soldier raised his sword over the French captain's chest, Judge Kirkland came to him and told him, "The sentence for insubordination is death. What a pity. You threw away a quite promising career."

"Consider it my highest honor, _monsieur,_" said Francois in defiance.

But just as the English soldier was about to thrust his sword into the Frenchman's heart, Amelia, from amongst the crowd, took a stone and threw it at Arthur's horse, causing the beast to throw the English judge from him.

This gave Francois the opportunity to throw the soldier to the ground and leap onto Arthur's horse, escaping on him.

When he saw this, Arthur shouted to his soldiers, "Get him, and don't hit my horse!"

So the soldiers raised their bows and shot arrows at the French captain. One of the arrows struck him in the chest, causing him to fall into the river. Amelia watched with horror as the soldiers shot more arrows into the river.

"Don't waste your arrows!" ordered Kirkland. "Let the frog rot in his watery grave. Find the girl. If you have to burn the city to the ground, so be it."

Amelia overheard the conversation and was startled. When she was sure that Kirkland and the soldiers had left, she jumped into the river. She swam to the wounded Francois and took him to a safer haven.

Meanwhile, Paris was burning thanks to Kirkland and his soldiers.

"Sir," said one of the soldiers to Kirkland. "We've looked everywhere and still no sign of the Yankee girl."

"But I had the entire cathedral surrounded," thought the English judge. "Guards at every door. There was no way she could have escaped." He then looked up to the cathedral where the bells were ringing. "Unless…"


	14. A Guy Like You

**Chapter 13- A Guy Like You**

Up in the cathedral, Yao and Kiku looked down with sadness at the smoldering city.

"Oh, it doesn't look good, aru," moaned Yao.

"It is hopeless," sighed Kiku. "Absolutely hopeless."

"You're telling me!" shouted Yong Soo, who had been playing cards with a pigeon all this time. "I'm losing to a bird!"

"Oh, but that poor American girl!" gasped Kiku. "I'm beginning to feel the worst."

"I know," said Yao to his Japanese brother. "But don't you say anything to upset Matthew. He's worried enough already, aru."

"Yeah, you're right," agreed the Korean. "We'd better lighten up."

"Hush," said Kiku. "Here he comes."

"Now just stay calm, aru," said Yao to both of his younger brothers.

"Not a word," whispered Kiku to Yong Soo.

"Easy does it," said the Korean.

"Stone-faced."

"Any sign of her?" asked Matthew.

Finally, Kiku couldn't take it anymore. "Oh, it's a lost cause!" he sobbed. "She could be anywhere! In the stocks! In the dungeon! On the rack! In the HOT SEAT!"

"Nice going, Kiku," snarked Yao.

"No, he's right," sighed Matthew. "What are we going to do?"

"What are ya guys talkin' about?" shouted Yong Soo, trying to lighten up the mood. "If I know Amelia, she's three steps ahead of Kirkland and well outta harm's way."

"Do you really think so?"

"Hey, when things cool off, she'll be back. You'll see"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because she likes ya," said Yao to Matthew. "We always said you were the cute one, aru."

"Hey, I thought I was the cute one," Yong Soo butted in while he was eating some chips.

"No!" fumed Yao. "You're the annoying kid brother with the big mouth, aru!"

Yong Soo didn't quite get the point and asked his Chinese brother, "So what're ya sayin' exactly?"

"Take it from us, Mattie," said Yao to the Canadian. "You've nothing to worry about, aru."

"Yeah, you're irresistible," Yong Soo chimed in.

"_Hai,_" agreed Kiku, "Knights in shining armor certainly aren't her type."

"And those guys are a dime a dozen! But you, you're one of a kind. Look." And as he was roasting a sausage, Yong Soo started to sing:

"_Paris, the city of lovers, is glowing this evening._

_True, that's because it's on fire, but still there's l'amour._

_Somewhere out there in the night,_

_Her heart is also alight._

_And I know the guy she just might be burning for."_

Matthew looked with confusion as his Korean friend continued to sing:

"_A guy like you, she's never known, kid._

_A guy like you a girl does not meet every day._

_You've gotta look that's all your own, kid._

_Could there be two like you? No way._

_Those other guys that she could dangle_

_All look the same from every boring point of view._

_You're a surprise from every angle._

_Mon Dieu above! She's gotta love a guy like you!"_

Kiku then started to sing:

"_A guy like you gets extra credit_

_Because it's true, you've got a certain something more."_

"You're aces, kid," Yong Soo chimed in as his Chinese brother sang:

"_You see that face. You don't forget it._

_Want something new that's you for sure?_

_We all have gaped at some Adonis."_

**Kiku:**_ "But then we crave a meal more nourishing to chew."_

**Yong Soo:** _"And since you're shaped like a croissant is."_

**All Asians:** _"No question of she's gotta love a guy like you."_

**Yao:** _"Call me a hopeless romantic, but Mattie, I feel it."_

**Kiku:** _"She wants you so any moment she'll walk through that door."_

Yong Soo then showed up in a dress singing:

"_For a guy so swell!"_

"_A guy like you!"_ sang his older brothers.

"_With all you bring her!"_

"_I tell you, Mattie!"_

"_A fool could tell: it's why she fell with you-know-who!"_

"_There never was another, was he?"_

"_You ring the bell!"_

"_From king to serf to the bourgeoisie, they're all a second-stringer."_

And all three Asians sang:

"_You're the bell-ringer!_

_When she wants oo-la-la,_

_Then she wants you la-la!_

_She will discover, guy,_

_You're one heck of a guy!_

_Who wouldn't love a guy like you?"_

And Yong Soo concluded the song with this:

"_You've got a lot! The rest have not!_

_So she's gotta love a guy like you!"_


	15. Hide Francois

**Chapter 14- Hide Francois**

Just after the Asian gargoyles had finished their song, Matthew heard a familiar American-accented voice. "Mattie," the voice, belonging to Amelia, asked. "Matthew."

"Amelia?" Matthew rushed downstairs towards the American girl, crying, "Amelia, you're all right! I knew you'd come back!"

"Ya've done so much fer me already, my fine friend," said Amelia to the Canadian boy. "But I must ask yer help one more time."

"Yes, anything," agreed Matthew.

Amelia then opened the door as Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny, some of her cartoon pals, carried a wounded Francois Bonnefoy into the room.

"This is Francois Bonnefoy," she said to Matthew. "He's wounded and a fugitive like me. He can't go on much longer. I knew he'd be safe here. Please, can ya hide him?"

And with that, Matthew told his American friends, "This way." He led Amelia, Mickey, and Bugs to a cot in his room. There the Americans placed Francois.

Waking up, Francois gasped, "Amelia…"

"Shhhh…" Amelia spoke in a hushed tone. "You'll hide her 'til you're strong enough to move, ya hear?"

Matthew watched as his American friend took out a wine bottle and popped out the cork.

"_Tres bien._ I could use a drink," thought Francois, but Amelia was using it to pour onto the wound. The Frenchman winced and remarked, "_Oui!_ Feels like a 1470 Burgundy. Not a good year." (Over the years, Francois had got to be quite a connoisseur of wine)

"That there Austro-Hungarian family owes ya their lives," said Amelia as she placed a bandage onto Francois' chest and then sewed up the tear on his shirt. "You're either the single bravest soldier in the world, or the craziest."

"Ex-soldier, remember?" The French ex-soldier winced again and said to the American girl, "Why is it that every time we meet, I wind up bleeding?"

"Well, you're lucky," said Amelia as she finished the stitching on the Frenchman's shirt. "That arrow almost pierced yer heart."

Francois pressed Amelia's hand to his chest, and said calmly to her, "I am not so sure it didn't, _mon amour_." And with that, Francois and Amelia gave each other a passionate kiss. When poor Matthew saw this, he was heartbroken and thought:

"_I knew I'd never know_

_That warm and loving glow,_

_Though I might wish with all my might,_

_No face as strange or weird as my face_

_Was ever meant for Heaven's light."_

Tears ran down the Canadian's cheeks as he took out an Ace of Hearts card and tore it in two.

Presently, he heard Feliciano, Amelia's cat, yowl in fear. Matthew, Amelia, Mickey, and Bugs looked down the cathedral to see Judge Arthur Kirkland. "Kirkland's coming!" gasped the Canadian. "You all must leave! Quick! Follow me!" He led the Americans down the steps and to his room door, telling them, "Go down the South Tower steps!"

Mickey, Bugs, and Feliciano immediately went downstairs, but Amelia stopped by to tell Matthew, "Be careful, my fine friend. Promise ya won't let anything happen to him."

"I promise," sighed Matthew.

"Thank ya very much," said Amelia, as she left with her cat and her cartoon pals.

No sooner than Matthew's American friends leave than his Asian friends started scurrying about.

"Aiya! We've gotta stash the stiff, aru!" shouted Yao. So Matthew pulled the moaning and groaning Francois and shoved him underneath the table just as Kirkland entered the room.

"Oh," gasped Matthew when he saw his English master come in. "Oh, master, I-I-I didn't think you'd be coming!"

"I'm never too busy to share a meal with you, dear boy," Kirkland replied. "I brought a little treat."

Matthew looked around, gaining a suspicious look from the English judge. "Oh!" he thought, and off he went to grab two plates, one for himself and one for Kirkland.

"Is there something troubling you, Matthew?" asked Arthur suspiciously as he placed a scone onto Matthew's plate.

"Oh, no!" replied the Canadian.

"Oh, but there is," said the English judge as he took a bite from his scone. "I know there is." And a crumb from his scone fell to the floor right next to Francois. As Matthew knelt over to pick it up, his English master told him, "I think you might be hiding something…"

"Oh, no, master!" fibbed the Canadian.

"You're not eating, boy."

And with that, Matthew shoved the scone into his mouth and, although he never really liked Kirkland's scones, he claimed, "It's really good! Thank you!"

Just then, Francois groaned, trying to wake up, but Matthew kicked him back to sleep so as not to raise any more of Arthur's suspicions.

Matthew then feigned coughing and told his English master, "Lumps."

This caused Kirkland to raise an eyebrow. "What's different in here?" he asked his Canadian subordinate.

"Oh, nothing, sir," Matthew bluffed as his English master picked up a doll with golden hair, blue eyes, and a red, white, and blue dress.

"Is this one new?" asked Arthur. "It's awfully good. It looks very much like the Yankee girl. I know you helped her ESCAPE!" And with that he slammed the model to the table.

"But I…" stammered Matthew.

Arthur then tossed the doll aside and growled, "And now, all Paris is burning because of YOU!"

"She was kind to me, master," whimpered Matthew.

"YOU DOLT!" screamed Kirkland as he destroyed poor Matthew's wooden city model set. "THAT WASN'T KINDNESS! IT WAS CUNNING! SHE'S AN AMERICAN! AMERICANS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF REAL LOVE! THINK, BOY! THINK OF YOUR MOTHER!"

But pretty soon, the English judge's terrible anger subsided and said to him, "But what chance could a poor, unwanted child like you have against her heathen treachery?" Kirkland pulled out a sword and stuck it into the doll, burning it over the candle's flame. He continued, "Well, never you mind, Matthew. She'll be out of our lives soon enough. I shall free you from her evil spell. She shall torment you no longer." And with that, he threw the smoldering remains of the doll to Matthew.

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked his English master.

"I know where her hideout is," said Kirkland. "Tomorrow at dawn, I'll attack with a thousand men." And he left with a psychotic smirk on his face.

No sooner did Kirkland leave than Matthew noticed Francois waking up with a groan.

"We have to find the Court of Miracles before daybreak," the Frenchman said to the Canadian. "If Kirkland gets there first, _les americains_ are done for. Are you coming with me?"

Matthew wanted to, but he simply stated, "I can't."

Francois was startled. "I thought you were Amelia's friend!" he shouted.

But Matthew simply stated, "Kirkland's my master. I can't disobey him again."

"She stood up for you! You have got a funny way of showing gratitude, _non?_" After a long pause, Francois stated, "Well, I don't want to sit by and watch Kirkland massacre innocent people as he usually does! You do what you think is right."

And with that, he walked downstairs, leaving Matthew to make his decision: Should Matthew sit by watching Kirkland slaughter innocents, or should he help Francois save not only Amelia, but the entire American race? The Asian gargoyles looked at him. "Well, what am I supposed to do? Go out there and rescue the girl from the jaws of Death and the whole town will cheer like I'm some sort of a hero?!" asked Matthew. "She already has her knight in shining armor, and it's not me!" He sighed, "Kirkland was right. Kirkland was right about everything. And I'm tired of trying to be something I'm not."

Matthew looked at the smoldering ashes of the Amelia doll, then he looked at the woven band that Amelia had given him. Then Yao handed him a cloak. Matthew put on the cloak, thinking, "Ah, maple hockey! I must be out of my mind!"

Outside the cathedral, Francois was preparing to go out to save the Americans, when suddenly, Matthew popped up and yelled, "Francois!"

Francois shrieked with fright, but the Canadian hushed him and whispered, "I'm coming with you."

"I am so glad you've changed your mind," sighed the Frenchman with relief.

"I'm not doing it for you; I'm doing it for Amelia."

"You know where she is, _non?_"

"No, but she said this will help us find her." Matthew pulled out a woven band and showed it to Francois.

"_Bien! Tres bien!_" exclaimed the Frenchman as he took the woven band. "Ah, _formidable! Qu'est-ce que c'est?_"

"I'm not sure."

"Hmm, must be some sort of code, _non?_ It is Arabic. _Non, non._ It is all Greek to me!"

As Francois was trying to figure out this "code", Matthew remembered something that Amelia had told him, "When you wear this here woven band, ya hold the city in yer hand."

"_Quoi?_" Francois asked Matthew.

"It's the city!"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's a map, see," Matthew pointed out to Francois. "Here's the cathedral, and the river, and this little stone must be…"

Francois was puzzled. "I've never seen a map that looks like…"

As the Frenchman continued with his French babbling, Matthew argued, "Look, I've been up in the cathedral for 20 years, and I think I know what the city looks like from above, and this is it!"

After the two men had stopped arguing, they both took deep breaths. Then Francois was the first to speak: "Okay, fine! If you say it is a map, then it is a map. But if we are going to find Amelia, we'll have to work together. _C'est compris?_"

Matthew thought it over. "Well…okay. _C'est compris._" And with that he slapped Francois in the back, causing him to yelp in pain. "Oh, sorry," he apologized.

"No, you're not," winced Francois, and both Frenchman and Canadian walked away to save Amelia.


	16. The Court of Miracles

**Chapter 15- The Court of Miracles**

Later, Matthew and Francois had approached a graveyard. There they saw a symbol carved onto a tomb. "_Sacre bleu,_" gasped Francois. "This looks like the symbol on the map."

"But what does it mean?" asked Matthew.

Francois studied the symbol further. "I can make out an inscription," thought Francois. "But it is going to take a few minutes to translate it."

Then, Matthew pushed a lid aside, revealing a staircase going down.

"Or we could just go down these stairs," the Frenchman thought. And down the stairs he and Matthew went until they came to what looked like a sewer.

"Is this the Court of Miracles?" asked the Canadian.

"Offhand, I'd say it is the Court of Ankle-Deep Sewage," the Frenchman remarked dryly. "Must be the old catacombs." So the two sloshed further and further through the sewage, and again Francois said sarcastically, "Cheerful place, _non?_ Kind of makes you wish you got out more often, eh, Mathieu?"

"Not me," said Matthew. "I just want to warn Amelia and get back to the bell tower before I get into any more trouble."

"Eh, speaking of trouble, we should have run into some by now."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, a guard, a booby trap…" Just then, Francois' torch went out, leaving the men in darkness. Francois squeaked out, "…or an ambush."

Presently, several cartoon characters from all major American cartoon studios of the Golden Age of Animation leaped from their places and captured the Frenchman and the Canadian. Just then, Gilbert, their Prussian-born leader, came out and said to the cartoon characters, "Well, well, well. What have we here?"

"Trespassers!" shouted one of the cartoon characters, an anthropomorphic cat named Pete.

"Spies!" shouted another cartoon character, another cat named Sylvester.

"We are not spies, you loony toons!" argued Francois. But before he and Matthew could continue, Pete gagged Francois' mouth, while Sylvester gagged Matthew's mouth.

"Don't you dare interrupt the awesome me!" sneered Gilbert. "You are very clever to have found our awesome hideaway! Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale." And he began to sing:

"_Maybe you've heard of a terrible place_

_Where American Frenchies collect in a lair._

_Maybe you've heard of that mythical place_

_Called the Court of Miracles. Hello, you're there!"_

Two cartoon characters, a man-dog named Goofy and a sailor named Popeye, playing lame men, sang:

"_Where the lame can walk!"_

Two cartoon ducks, Donald and Daffy, playing blind men, chimed in:

"_And the blind can see!"_

Gilbert then continued:

"_But the dead don't talk,_

_So you won't be around_

_To reveal what you've found!_

_We have a method for spies and intruders_

_Rather like hornets protecting a hive_

_Here in the Court of Miracles_

_Where it's a miracle if you get out alive!"_

In the Court of Miracles, there were comic book stands, baseball matches, football matches, Wild West shows, hot dog vendors, fast food restaurants, and Coca-Cola vendors. And there, in the far end of the court, was a stage where sat two electric chairs, both of which were reserved specifically for the "spies".

Presently, Gilbert ran up to the stage and shouted out to the Americans there, "Gather round, everybody! You're in for quite a 'shock' tonight! It's a double-header: a couple of Kirkland's spies!" The crowd booed and jeered at Francois and Matthew as each of the two men was being strapped to his own chair.

"_Und_ not just any spies!" Gilbert continued. "It's his captain of the guard _und _his loyal, bell-ringing henchman!"

From amongst the crowd, Amelia and her cat Feliciano looked up as Gilbert continued his song:

"_Justice is swift in the Court of Miracles;_

_I am the lawyers and judge all in one._

_We like to get the trial over with quickly_

_Because it's the sentence that's really the fun!"_

As Gilbert approached the switch to turn on the electric chairs, he asked Matthew and Francois, "Any last words?"

The two men about to be executed could only shout muffled protests. "That's what they all say!" exclaimed Gilbert to the audience as he sang:

"_Now that we've seen all the evidence…"_

Just then three cartoon ducklings, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, shouted to Gilbert:

"_Wait! We object!"_

"_Overruled!"_

"_We object!"_

"_RUHE!"_

"_Why?"_

"_We find you totally innocent,_

_Which is the worst crime of all,_

_So you're going to fry!"_

Just as Gilbert was about to pull the switch and electrocute our heroes, Amelia cried out, "STOP!"

Gilbert, Matthew, and Francois were surprised to see Amelia at this hour. As she pulled the scarfs of the two men's mouths, she told Gilbert, "These here men ain't no spies. They're my friends."

"Well, why didn't they say so?" asked Gilbert.

"We did say so!" Matthew and Francois shouted.

Amelia explained as she released her friends from their hot seats, "This is the French soldier who saved the Austrian miller's family, and Matthew helped me escape the cathedral."

Francois then stepped up and cried out, "We came to warn you! Kirkland's coming! He says he knows where you're hiding and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand men!"

Amelia then told the startled crowd, "Let's waste no time. We must leave immediately."

So the crowd of cartoon characters ran into their respective homes to pack quickly, Goofy, as usual, stumbling and fumbling as he did so.

While all this happened, Amelia told Francois, "Ya took a terrible risk comin' here. It might not exactly show, but we're grateful."

Francois looked around, looked at Matthew, and said to Amelia, "Don't thank me, thank Matthew. Without his help, I would never have found my way here."

"Nor would I!" shouted a coldly familiar British voice. That voice belonged to Arthur Kirkland, who had brought a thousand men into the Court of Miracles with him. As the horrified Americans tried to escape, they were only stopped by the English. One of the English soldiers captured a squalling Feliciano, while several others pointed their spears at our three heroes.

"After twenty years of searching," gloated Arthur. "The Court of Miracles is mine at last!" He walked up to Matthew and said to him, "Matthew William Kirkland, I always knew that someday you'd be of use to me."

"Whaddya talkin' 'bout, ya limey?" growled Amelia.

"Why," Arthur said to the still-growling American girl. "He led me right to you, my dear."

"Ya lyin', cheatin' no-good varmint!"

"And look what else I've caught in my net!" gloated the English judge dryly as he came to Francois. "Captain Francois Bonnefoy, back from the dead! Another 'miracle', no doubt. I shall remedy that."

Kirkland then turned to the captured American cartoons and said to them, "I heard that you Americans enjoy barbecues. Well, you'll be glad to know that there will be a 'barbecue' in the square tomorrow and you're all invited to attend." He then ordered his men, "Lock them up!"

But Matthew fell to his knees and begged, "No. Please, master." When all he got from Kirkland was a cold, icy stare, Matthew fell face down in defeat, while his English master ordered, "Take him back to the bell tower, and make sure he stays there." The soldiers, as usual, carried out Kirkland's orders.


	17. The Final Battle

**Chapter 16- The Final Battle**

The next day, at Notre Dame Cathedral, an execution was about to occur. Francois was trapped in a cage, while Amelia was tied to a stake. American cartoon characters were trying to interfere, but English guards were stopping them.

Then, Judge Arthur Kirkland walked up to the stage. As the drums rolled, he announced, "The prisoner Amelia F. Jones has been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. The sentence: DEATH!" Lovino Vargas, the Italian archdeacon, tried to interfere as well, but the English guards stopped him.

Arthur then took a torch, came to Amelia, and said smoothly to her, "The time has come, Yankee. You stand upon the brink of the abyss, yet even now it is not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world and the next. Choose me, or the fire." But Amelia spit at his face, as if to say, "Bug off, ya doggone limey!"

Arthur then announced, "The Yankee Amelia F. Jones has refused to recant. This evil witch has put the soul of every citizen of Paris in awful jeopardy."

Meanwhile, in the tower of Notre Dame, poor Matthew was all chained up, while his three Asian friends were tugging at the chains, as if trying to release the Canadian.

"C'mon, Mattie!" shouted Yong Soo. "Snap out of it!"

"Your friends are down there," persisted Kiku.

"It's all my fault," sighed Matthew downheartedly.

"Ya gotta break these chains, aru!" yelled Yao.

"I can't. I tried," moaned the Canadian. "What difference would it make?"

"But you can't let Kirkland win," insisted the Japanese gargoyle.

"He already has," groaned Matthew.

"So, you're giving up? That's it?" gasped Yong Soo, who couldn't believe his ears.

"These chains aren't what's holding you back, Matthew, aru," retorted Yao to the Canadian.

"Leave me alone!" snapped Matthew at his Asian buddies.

All three Asians were shocked at Matthew's retort. "Okay, okay, Mattie. We'll leave you alone," said Yong Soo sadly.

"After all, we're only made of stone," sighed Kiku.

"We just thought you were made of something stronger, aru," said Yao in a hushed voice. And with that, all three Asians turned back into stone.

As Matthew gazed down at the scene, he heard Kirkland announce, "For justice, for Paris, and for our own salvation, it is my sacred duty to send this unholy demon back where she belongs!"

Matthew saw his English master set fire to the kindling below a horrified Amelia's feet as the crowd shouted in protest.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as he tugged at his chains, as though trying to release himself from not only his physical prison, but also his spiritual prison. The bells rang furiously as he did so.

All this while, Amelia, surrounded by smoke, was coughing and gasping for air, while Judge Arthur Kirkland gave a nasty smirk that would make a misunderstood Russian openly weep out of fear.

Then the enraged Matthew, with all the strength he could muster, broke the chains and toppled the pillars that held the chains. He was ready to rescue Amelia. He could not let Kirkland win!

The Canadian took a rope, threw it around one of the drainage gargoyles, and swung to one of the sides of the cathedral. He aimed himself to where the fire was burning and swung there, untying the ropes from Amelia's hands and cradling the unconscious American girl in his arms. As three English soldiers tried to stop him, Matthew just lifted the burning stake and knocked the soldiers out with it. He then grabbed the rope again and swung to the cathedral while Kirkland, angry at this, shouted, "Matthew William Kirkland!"

Francois looked on with pleasure as Matthew climbed the cathedral to where the rose window. He then raised Amelia up and cried out, "SANCTUARY! SANCTUARY! SANCTUARY!" The crowd shouted with joy at this.

But the furious Arthur Kirkland ordered his new captain of the guard, a young man from Hong Kong named Kaoru, "Seize the cathedral!"

Meanwhile, inside a small room, Matthew placed the unconscious Amelia in a crudely-made bed, telling her, "Don't worry. You'll be safe here." Presently, he heard a man shouting, "CHARGE!" So he ran outside with his Asian gargoyle friends.

In a large area in the cathedral, they spotted a cauldron of molten lava. Next to it was a large rectangular block of wood. Matthew pushed the block of wood off the cathedral and onto Kirkland's carriage. The English judge was furious and as he saw his soldiers scurry away, he cried out, "Come back, you cowardly gits!" And with that, he grabbed a sword from Kaoru and shouted, "You men, pick up that log! Bring down the doors!"

As one of the soldiers tried to run from Francois' cage to the mess, Francois picked him up and said to him, "Alone at last, _non?_" And he bonked him in the head and picked up his keys.

Meanwhile, some English soldiers were using the log to bring down the Notre Dame doors.

Francois had released himself from his cage and shouted out to the crowd of Parisians surrounding him, "Citizens of Paris! Kirkland has persecuted our people, ransacked our city, and now, he has declared war on Notre Dame herself! Will we allow it?!"

The crowd shouted, "NO!" and they raced to the cages and released Gilbert and the American cartoon characters. Such great delight filled Gilbert's heart to be released, even though Gilbert was Prussian, not American.

The band of Parisians and Americans then raced to the soldiers attacking the cathedral. "DA-ZE!" shouted Yong Soo as he saw this from above. "I think the cavalry here!" Then he saw the French captain jump from his cage and asked, "Hey, isn't that, uh, Frenchie?"

"Froggo!" argued Yao.

"Francois!" gasped Matthew with much joy.

Just then, Francois punched an English soldier in the nose, causing the latter to fall on his back.

As two more soldiers were climbing up a ladder, Matthew dropped a large brick on the ladder, causing the soldiers to fall. Kiku, worried about not being polite, dropped a much smaller brick. The brick fell onto an English soldier's head, and Kiku apologized, "Sorry. Sorry." Yong Soo took a piece of stone, crunched on it like granola and acted as a Spitfire, zooming to the balcony and spitting the bits and pieces at the English soldiers, who, rather obviously, were failing Kirkland.

The angry English judge continued to shout, "Harder!" He wanted the doors broken down completely!

Meanwhile, Francois was busy out there, slaughtering English soldiers as he loved to do. Why, the casualties of English soldiers skyrocketed by the dozens!

Back in the cathedral, Yong Soo and Kiku were busy making a cool war machine.

Out in the town square, Goofy and an English soldier were fighting each other by a pillory holding Romulus Imperiosus when, as Goofy killed the soldier, his sword broke the pillory open, releasing Romulus. "YAY! I'M FREE! I'M FREE!" he shouted, but predictably, the old Roman fell into a sewer instead. "Dang it!" he muttered with disgust.

Up in the cathedral, Yong Soo and Kiku had finally finished their war machine. It resembled a catapult, as Yong Soo stuffed it with stones.

As three soldiers tried to use a grappling hook to climb up the cathedral, Matthew chose to pull at the hook, smashing the three soldiers and causing them to fall into the river with a familiar scream that would have amused Amelia.

As the cathedral doors were being smashed, Yong Soo and Kiku pushed their catapult down to the ground. "Are you sure that's how it works?" asked Kiku to Yong Soo. Just then, as several soldiers tried recovering themselves, the catapult smashed them all, acting as a mousetrap. "Works for me!" shouted the Korean as he smiled with delight.

Meanwhile, Francois and an English guard were fighting and trying to kill each other. Francois then tied the guard's hood over his face and Feliciano, the cat, headbutted the guard to where Francois' horse was.

"Achille, sit!" Francois ordered, and the horse obeyed his French master's command, much to the guard's horror, as the horse sat on the guard's head.

Meanwhile, Yao was sending out some birds, cackling, "Fly, my pretties! Fly! Fly! AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Some English soldiers looked up in terror as the birds chased after them.

All this time, Kirkland was ordering, "Put all your strength into it!"

Up in the cathedral, Yong Soo and Kiku were heating up the molten lava. Finally, Matthew hitched it to a hook and his Asian friends used all their strength to pour the lava into the drain. The lava then flowed from the drainage gargoyles and directly onto the soldiers. Everyone else ran off to escape the lava of doom, but Arthur stayed behind to get into the cathedral, using his sword to finish opening the now heavily damaged door.

After Arthur had gotten into the cathedral, Archdeacon Lovino Vargas tried to stop the Englishman. "_CHE PALLE, _KIRKLAND! HAVE YOU GONE _PAZZO!?_" he screamed. "I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS ASSAULT ON THE HOUSE OF GOD!"

"Silence, you wop!" Arthur shouted as he pushed the Italian aside. "The Canadian and I have unfinished business to attend to, and this time, you will _not_ interfere!" And off he went up the stairs to the nearest room.


	18. Kirkland's Demise

**Chapter 17- Kirkland's Demise**

In that very room where Arthur was going to, Matthew burst in, shouting, "We've done it, Amelia! We've beaten those limeys! Come and see!" But Amelia wasn't stirring one bit. Matthew came to Amelia and said to her, "Amelia, wake up. You're safe now." But she couldn't move at all. "Amelia?" asked a really concerned Matthew. His Asian friends tried not to cry as the Canadian tried to spoon some water into Amelia's mouth, but none of it fell into her mouth.

Alas, Matthew was given the idea that Amelia was indeed dead. He dropped the spoon, cradled the American girl's body in his arms, and wept bitterly as his Asian friends left him alone.

Presently, his English master, Arthur Kirkland, entered the room, walked towards the weeping Canadian, and placed a hand on his shoulder. But Matthew turned to Arthur and said to him, "You killed her."

"'Twas my duty, horrible as it was," explained the Englishman. "I hope you will forgive me." But Matthew continued weeping. "There, there, Matthew," said Kirkland, even though he never really showed the Canadian any real sympathy. "I know it hurts, but now, the time has come to end your suffering forever."

Matthew was horrified to see Kirkland raising a dagger at him, as though preparing to kill him. He grabbed his English master's arm, and he practically fought with his own master until finally he stole the dagger from Kirkland's hand and thrust him onto the floor.

Matthew snarled at a now frightened Kirkland, the latter stammering, "N-n-now, listen to me, Matthew!"

"No, _you_ listen to _me_!" shouted the Canadian. "All my life you have told me the world was a dark, cruel place! But now I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!"

Just then, he heard a voice gasping, "Matthew…"

It belonged to Amelia, who had been alive this whole time!

"Amelia!" said Matthew, delighted to see this American girl alive.

"She lives!" growled Arthur as he pulled out his sword. And out of the room Matthew ran, with Amelia in his arms.

Arthur also came out, looking around for the Canadian boy and American girl. When he could not find them on the balcony, he searched instead by the drainage gargoyles, and sure enough, he found Matthew and Amelia dangling onto one of the gargoyles.

"Leaving so soon?" sneered Kirkland as he thrust his sword at the two, but missed.

Down on the ground that had not been soaked with lava, a cartoon character by the name of Tweety Bird noticed something on the cathedral. "Look! Up there!" he shouted to his fellow American cartoon pals.

Back up in the cathedral, Kirkland continued swaying his sword at Matthew and Amelia. "HANG ON!" shouted Matthew to Amelia as they swung to another gargoyle. As Kirkland chopped and chopped his way to the Canadian and American, the two continued to avoid the Englishman's terrible wrath. Then, as Matthew and Amelia came back to the balcony, Kirkland swung his sword at them, causing Amelia to fall into the balcony.

Kirkland snarled at Matthew, "I should have known you'd risk your life to save that American witch, just as your own mother died trying to save you."

At last, the truth had dawned upon Matthew. His mother had not abandoned him; she had sacrificed her own life to save his.

"And now," said Kirkland, "I'm going to do what I should have done…TWENTY YEARS AGO!"

And with that, he threw a Union Jack onto Matthew and tried to thrust him into the lava. But the resourceful Canadian grabbed onto Kirkland's Union Jack and soon it was Kirkland about to fall into the lava.

Soon, Matthew found himself slipping, so Amelia grabbed his hand to prevent him from falling.

But crazy Kirkland found another drainage gargoyle and swung to it, grabbing it with his own bare hands.

"Hold on," whispered Amelia to Matthew, who had apparently fainted to the point where the Union Jack that he had been holding onto slipped from his hand.

Just then, the cackling Englishman climbed up and stood upon the drainage gargoyle. A terrified Amelia looked up at Arthur as he shouted, "And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!"

Presently, the gargoyle he was standing on began to crack. Kirkland fell and grasped onto the gargoyle, whose demonic look seemed to tell him, "You can be our chef!" The English judge looked at the gargoyle in terror as the gargoyle broke and he fell into the fiery inferno that was the lava. Judge Arthur Kirkland was no more.

All this time, Amelia was trying to help Matthew up, groaning, "Matthew…Mattie…" But then, Matthew fell from her grasp. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed.

But just as Matthew was about to share his English master's infernal fate, Captain Francois Bonnefoy grabbed him by the chest and saved him. Amelia was pleased to see this.

In the cathedral, Matthew woke up to see his French friend. The Canadian hugged the Frenchman in delight and gratitude.

Just then, Amelia ran into the cathedral to see the two men. She then ran up to hug Matthew, thanking him for saving her. But Matthew knew that Amelia belonged to Francois and so placed the American girl's hands into the Frenchman's, blessing their relationship.

Finally, Francois and his soon-to-be bride Amelia gave each other a passionate kiss. Matthew was happy because he knew that Amelia was indeed very happy.


	19. The End of It All

**Chapter 18- The End of It All**

What a joyous celebration the next day was! Out of the cathedral came Francois and his new American bride Amelia. They opened the damaged door and came to the applauding crowd of Parisians, now integrated with Americans, both toon and non-toon. You should have heard the ovation of the crowd as Francois and Amelia raised their hands in marriage.

Then, Amelia re-entered the cathedral, gesturing Matthew to come out. She took him by the hand and out they went to see the crowd. At first, the crowd didn't know what to think of him, what with his unusual violet eyes. But then a small Italian child, looked at the Canadian. He came up to Matthew, touched him, and, after a little while, the boy embraced the Canadian. What a heartwarming sight it was. Matthew had been accepted into society.

"THREE CHEERS FOR MATTHEW WILLIAMS!" shouted Gilbert to the applauding crowd. Francois and Amelia looked on as their Canadian friend was carried off to the local restaurant and Gilbert sang:

"_So, here is a riddle to guess if you can,_

_Sing the bells of Notre Dame!_

_What makes a monster,_

_And what makes a man?_

_Whatever and which you,_

_Can feel them bewitch you_

_The rich and ritual chants of the_

_Bells of Notre Dame!"_

Feliciano leaped into the arms of this new Franco-American couple as they gazed on at Matthew, cheerfully going to the restaurant with the crowd.

Back up in the cathedral, Yong Soo was opening up a champagne bottle in celebration, Kiku was weeping with joy, and Yao would have been celebrating, had some birds not decided to perch onto his shoulders.

"DON'T YOU EVER MIGRATE, ARU!?" screamed Yao in anger.

And Yong Soo, as he served up the champagne to his older brothers, told the reader (that's you), "Good night, everybody! _URI NARA MANSAE!_"

**The End**


End file.
